Ice Adventure
by Madvy
Summary: COMPLETE. A little adventure that Canard, Wildwing, and Nosedive had back when they were kids on Puckworld.
1. Lost Puck

Disclaimer: As we all know, Disney is the one who owns the Mighty Ducks. All of us fanfiction writers are only borrowing the characters; we're not trying to steal them. Besides, Disney has got these great characters, so why don't they DO anything with them. We writers are the only ones keeping the ducks alive and fresh. We're the ones who send them out on new adventures and stuff. Personally, I would LOVE to see some of the fanfiction stories make it to the tv screen. They would make great episodes! But sadly, the Mighty Ducks are doomed to live in reruns, set in the middle of the night, for who knows how long. But who knows, maybe one day, the ducks will reammerge, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and make it back to regular tv programming. We can only hope. Well, for now, all we can do is continue to write stories involving everyone's favorite mallards, watch the show, for those of you who have Toon Disney (Sorry, I'm not one of them, boo-hoo:( ), and pray that someday, they'll come back. Anyway, I feel like I've written too much already, so as they say on tv, "On with the show!"

Author's Note: This is my second MD fanfiction. I got some nice comments on my first one, "How Could I?", so I decided to try my hand, er pen, computer, whatever, with a second one. I hope you guys will like it. It's a work in progress, but I'll try to keep posting new chapters as I go. I already have the story in my head, I just got to get it down on paper. Be cool and GOD bless! :)

"Ice Adventure"  
  
By Madvy

Chapter 1-Lost Puck  
  
It was yet another beautiful day on the planet known as Puckworld, even though there was snow and ice everywhere. Of course, to the ducks that inhabited the planet, this was typical year-round weather. They were used to it. At first glance, this seemed like any other day, but for three ducks in particular, today would be a day they soon wouldn't be forgetting.  
  
Twelve-year-old Wildwing, along with his best friend, Canard, and seven- year-old brother, Nosedive, were happily skating around on the ice rink in the local park. The three had just started a little bit of hockey practice. Wildwing was in the goal, while Canard was shooting pucks at him. Nosedive was standing behind them, watching and longing to join in on their fun. But he wasn't sure if they would let him. 

'Wing would let me play, but I don't know if Canard will,' he thought. 'Couldn't hurt to just ask, right?'

"Canard, can I try?" Dive asked, coming up behind the older mallard.

"No way, squirt! I'm on a roll!" shouted Canard, as he continued to send puck after puck towards the goal.

"Come on, Canard, let Dive try," said Wildwing. He stopped blocking pucks and pulled off his goalie mask, "I mean, the only way he's gonna' to get better, is if he practices, right?"

"Oh all right, fine," moaned Canard, "But he only gets to hit one puck. Ya hear that kid? So you better make it good." He shoved his hockey stick into Nosedive's hands.

"Ok, thanks," said a grateful Nosedive. He skated over and picked the only remaining puck. He then set it down on the ice in front of the goal and carefully took aim.

"Come on lil' bro', just try and get one past me!" Wing called. He quickly pulled his mask back on and took up a blocking position.

"Yeah, let's see if the shrimp can make his first goal!" taunted Canard.

"I've made a goal before!" shot back Dive.

"Oh yeah, prove it then," answered Canard.

Nosedive growled. "I'll show you!" he yelled. He lifted the hockey stick and brought it down on the puck as hard as he could. Unfortunately, he was concentrating more on actually hitting the puck rather than on his aim. The puck whizzed through the air, hit one of the net poles, shot off to the side, and disappeared down a nearby hole.

"Oh great, Dive lost the puck!" complained Canard.

"It's not that bad Canard," said Wing, as he came over.

"Are you kidding me?! We've lost six pucks already! That was our last one! And I know my mom will have a fit if I go asking her for some new ones."

"Ok, so what do you propose we do?"

"I say, we make your brother go and get it."

"Me, why me?" piped in Nosedive, who had been silently listening in to the two older ducks' conversation.

"Cause' you're the one who went and lost the puck in the first place. Therefore, you have to go and find it," said Canard.

"Ah, do I have to Wing?"

Wildwing sighed. "Well, it was our last puck, Dive, and you know we can't ask our folks for anymore. They just gave us a new set last week. I'm sure that hole isn't that deep. I'll bet that the puck is lying right in the mouth of the hole."

"Besides, you're the only one small enough to fit through that hole anyway," added Canard.

Two against one. That wasn't very fair odds. But Nosedive knew that he was fighting a losing battle. No matter how much he didn't want to go down that hole, he had a feeling that he didn't have any choice.

"Oh, all right. If you two say so, I'll go and get it," the youngest duck sighed.


	2. Wild Ride

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Mighty Ducks! None of us writers do! We get it already!

Author's Note: Actually, I really don't have anything to say, so I'll just shut up already so you can get on to reading the second chapter. Sorry about the inconviniance. (Did I spell this word right?) **;)** (Look, he's winking at you!)

Chapter 2-Wild Ride  
  
Nosedive peered cautiously into the hole. "I don't know bout' this guys," he said, "It looks really dark and scary down there. How am I spose' to find the puck in the dark? And what if it's really deep? How will I get back out?"  
  
"He has a good point Canard," said Wildwing, "And I don't want him getting stuck down there either."

"All right, all right," sighed Canard, "Hang on a sec and I'll be right back." He then skated off in the direction of his house.

All Nosedive and Wildwing could do was just look at each other as Canard raced off. Neither one of them had the slightest clue what the tan feathered duck had in mind.

A few minutes later, Canard returned with a flashlight and some rope.

"Ok Dive, here you go," he said. Canard gave Dive the flashlight and began to tie the rope around the smaller duck's waist.

"Canard, what are you...?" started Wildwing.

"Now, you'll be able to see with the flashlight and with this rope around you, as soon as you get the puck back, all you'll have to do is tug on the rope, and we'll pull you back up. That way, you won't get stuck anywhere. All right?" explained Canard.

This relieved Wildwing, but Dive still seemed a bit nervous. "Ok. But I still won't like it down there," said Nosedive.

"Come on baby bro', you can do this. I believe in you," said Wildwing.

"Well, if you think that I can do it..." squeaked Dive.

"Of course you can," Canard replied, "Just climb down, grab the puck, and then we'll yank you back out. How hard could it be?" He then muttered under his breath, "And the sooner you come back with the puck, the sooner we can get back to practicing."

All Nosedive could do was sigh as he began to climb down the hole.

-----------

The hole itself was quite narrow and very rocky. Plus, Wildwing and Canard were blocking the only light, which was coming through the opening at the top, as they looked in on the duckling that was descending further and further into the hole. 

So here was poor Nosedive, a little seven-year-old duck, being forced to crawl down a hole he could barely fit through, and strike out into the unknown, to recover a lost puck he didn't even mean to lose in the first place.

"How do I get myself talked into these things?" he asked himself.

Suddenly, the young duck felt his foot slip and he lost his grip as he went tumbling down the rest of the narrow opening of the hole.

"Ah, ouch, ump, ow!" he cried as he slipped farther down under the ground, until he finally felt his body collide with the bottom.

"Oh..." Dive moaned as he sat up, "What just happened?"

Then, he heard a series of clunks as the flashlight came falling down the hole as well, then bonked Nosedive right on the head before landing next to him.

"Ow..." Nosedive sighed, rubbing his now sore head.

"Dive, Nosedive!!!" Nosedive could hear his brother calling to him from up above. "Are you ok? Is everything all right?" He sounded worried.

"I'm okay," returned Dive, "I just lost my footing and fell down the hole. I don't think I'm bleeding, but my head hurts."

"Why?" yelled Canard.

"Cause' the stupid flashlight hit me on the head, that's why."

"Oh brother," Canard moaned.

"You sure you're ok, baby bro'?"

"I think so."

"Good. Well now that you're down there, hurry up and start lookin' for the puck," yelled Canard.

"All right, all right," Dive said. He searched around, found the flashlight, turned it on, and began to scan his new surroundings.

The bottom of the hole wasn't very big. In fact, it looked more like an old, forgotten burrow than anything else, with the occasional bit of ice on the walls. And it was cold. Carefully, Dive let his eyes search each area of the hole before he moved on to the next. Before long, he spotted the puck lying up against one side of the hole. The wall was slanted in an angle, reaching up to the hole's ceiling.

'Almost like a tent,' thought Dive. Quickly, he crawled over to where the puck was lying. "Hey guys," Dive called, "I found the puck!"

"Great!" yelled the two aboveground drakes.

"Now, we'll just pull you back up, ok Dive?" said Wildwing.

"Ok," responded Nosedive.

However, just as Dive picked up the puck, he felt the ground start to give way underneath him.

"Oh no, not agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled as he found himself falling once more.

-----------

Wildwing and Canard were just getting ready to start pulling Nosedive up, when they suddenly saw the rope unwinding before their eyes.

"What the..." was all either one was able to get out before both were slung forward, still holding on to the rope, and pulled down the hole.

-----------

Poor Nosedive. He had just grabbed the puck and was preparing to get out of the dark and see daylight again, when he started sliding down another hole and was sent on yet another wild ride. Yet, the first one had only been a little bit frightening, and had ended quickly. However, this time, the ride was not only dark and scary, but the hole that Dive had fallen down was slick and icy, and just keep on going and going; it wouldn't end! 

Above his own screaming, Dive was sure he could hear Canard and Wing's screams as well.

'Did they fall down this hole too?' he asked himself as he went sliding along.

Suddenly, he felt the hole end and, instead of continuing to sweep through an underground tunnel, Dive was falling through the air! And once more, before he even knew what was happening, Nosedive's body had hit the ground. For a few seconds, there was silence as Dive slowly let the world catch up with him, and he began to regain his bearings. He carefully sat up, feeling each and every one of the new aches in his small body.

Then, just as before, the flashlight came sliding down behind Nosedive. A chill ran up Nosedive's back as he felt the bump on his head begin to throb. He remembered what happened the last time the flashlight came falling after him. But, this time, instead of hitting the duck on the head, it landed harmlessly to his side with a thud. Dive let out a sigh of relief.

Soon, a pair of screams could be heard, getting closer and closer, until Wildwing and Canard came flying out of the icy tunnel, and crashed right on top of one very surprised seven-year-old duck.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: So, how do ya'll like my story so far? I promise I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. For now, you'll just have to wait! If you haven't already, try reading some of the stories by PapillonStar, Blue Moon Duchess, Price Tyler Briefs, Dolphy, Orenda, Icelightening, Kaeera, and many others. They're really awesome! I hope that you'll enjoy them as much as I did. Take care and I'll be back soon. GOD bless! :)


	3. The Adventure Begins in the Ice Cave

Disclaimer: As usual, the only one who owns the Mighty Ducks is Disney. I wish I owned them, but I don't think I will ever have enough money to buy them from Disney. Well, maybe if I win the lottery...Hmmm, I could go for that.  
  
Author's Note: I'm afraid I've been having a bunch of computer problems of late. (Sticks tongue out and pulls on hair) Uh!!!!!! Don't ask. Anyway, I'm not sure if they're all gone yet, but here's hoping. (Crosses fingers) Well, as long as my computer lets me, I'll keep posting new chapters. Keep cool during the summer and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!! Hope you enjoy these new updates. :)  
  
Chapter 3-The Adventure Begins in the Ice Cave  
  
Once again, silence consumed the cave, until the three ducks inside began to moan and grown.  
  
"Oh man, what happened?" asked Canard, "My head feels like it's spinning."  
  
"I'm not sure what happened," said Wildwing, "I think we got pulled down the hole though by the rope."  
  
"Well, why would that happen? You don't think that that kid brother of yours yanked us down here on purpose, do you?"  
  
"Canard, Dive's seven. How on Puckworld could he possibly have pulled two twelve-year-olds down such a skinny hole? We each weigh twice as much as he does."  
  
"Hmm, I spose' you're right. I guess that doesn't sound very likely of him, does it?"  
  
"Speaking of Nosedive, where is he? I mean, if we fell down here, shouldn't he have fallen down here too."  
  
All of a sudden, a soft, muffled voice resounded underneath them.  
  
"Huh?" Canard and Wildwing looked down and discovered that they were actually sitting on top of the little, yellow duck.  
  
"Well, there he is," said Canard, as the two older ducks got up.  
  
"Nosedive, Nosedive are you okay?" Wing asked. But all he got was muffled response. "Dive, why won't you answer me?"  
  
"Re aus ou're anding on my eak," answered Dive.  
  
"What?" Wing leaned in closer to try to better understand what it was his little brother was trying to say.  
  
"Uh Wing?" said Canard.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The pipsqueak might be able to talk a little bit easier if you weren't standing on his beak." He pointed down.  
  
Wildwing looked in the direction his friend was pointing in and found that his foot was standing on Nosedive's bill. He quickly lifted it. "Oh, I'm sorry Nosedive. I didn't even know my foot was on you."  
  
"Ow." Dive sat up and gently rubbed his bill. "Well I wish you had sooner. Oh man, now not only does my head hurt, so does my beak."  
  
"Good, now maybe you'll keep it shut a little more often, pipsqueak," Canard remarked.  
  
"I will not. And I'm not a pipsqueak!"  
  
"Sure you are!" returned Canard.  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"

"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not! Am not! Am not! Am not!" Nosedive began to kick his feet in the air.  
  
"Are too! Am too! Are too! Are too!"  
  
"Guys!!!" shouted Wildwing. He had had enough of this silly argument and was putting a stop to it right now. He quickly stepped between Nosedive and Canard. "This is no time to start arguing. Now I say we stop wasting our energy on name-calling and start using it to find a way outta' here."  
  
"Fine, whatever. I'm going to find the flashlight," retorted Canard.  
  
"Good, well what about you Nosedive?" asked Wing.  
  
"I will if he will," Dive said while crossing his arms.  
  
"Ok. Here let me help you up." Since they all had first come crashing out of the tunnel, Nosedive had been on the ground. But Wing helped him up.  
  
"Oh, now my bottom's all wet and cold," moaned the blonde duckling.  
  
"Well, I got just one thing to say right now." Wildwing and Nosedive looked over to where Canard was. He was looking up, with flashlight in hand, at the hole through which the three had just entered the cave through. It was at least a good twenty feet above the ground and the wall it was on was completely covered in a smooth, sheet of ice. "There's no way we're gettin' outta' here the same way we came in." The brothers came over to him.  
  
"Why?" asked the younger one.  
  
"Because, in case you haven't already noticed, the hole we came sliding through is all the way up there," Canard pointed up with his finger, "And there is no way we could climb up there. This wall is made up totally of ice. Besides, even if we could find a way to make it to the hole, we could never make it all the way up through it. It too, is coated in ice. We'd slip and slid through it and fall all the way down it all over again."  
  
"Oh," said Dive.  
  
"Then how are we supposed to get back home?" Wing asked, "If we don't get back by supper, our families are going to start worrying and come looking for us. And I'm sure they won't be thinking to look all the way down here for us."  
  
"Well then, we'll just have to find some other way outta' here," Canard stated. With that, he turned and started in the opposite direction of the icy wall.  
  
Wing and Dive watched him go in silence, before Nosedive finally asked, "Do you think we should follow him bro'?"  
  
"Well, if we ever want to see the surface again, I'd recommend we do," answered Wildwing.  
  
"Yeah, me too. Let's go."


	4. Let's get going!

Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks belong to Disney. Same old story. Why doesn't anyone write a sequel to it, if you catch my drift?  
  
Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed my last chapter. I'm working on trying to make them longer. I believe that this one is my longest yet, but I guess we'll have to see. So go pop some popcorn and enjoy the show! (Oh I just LOVE the smell and of course taste of popcorn! But only the buttery kind. I think that that kettle corn stuff just tastes weird. I mean, popcorn just isn't popcorn unless it has got butter on it. You agree with me?) Be cool! GOD BLESS! :)  
  
Chapter 4-"Let's get going!"  
  
It hadn't been long before Canard had discovered that he, Nosedive, and Wildwing had not really landed on the cave floor at all. They had in fact fallen on to a small and flat cliff that jutted out of the ice wall.  
  
Right now, Canard was looking over the edge at the frozen lake below him. 'It doesn't look to be that far down,' he thought, 'I'll bet we can reach it.' "Hey guys, come over here and take a look at this!"  
  
After a short sprint, Dive and Wing were also looking at the solid water below them.  
  
"I wonder how far out it goes," said Dive.  
  
"Lets find out," said Canard. He let the light begin to spread out over the course of the lake. As it turned out, the lake was huge and stretched far off into the cave. After letting the light disappear into the dark, Canard began to observe the rest of the cave. And what a cave it was! A gigantic space in the ground chocked full of ice that sparkled and shined as the light ran over it. At first, Canard was amazed at the beauty of the ice cave. Everything was so crisp and clean. None of the ice down here was disturbed. It was so different from the ice on the surface. Up there, icicles melted fast, but down here, who knows how long some of these icicles had been around. It was just so gorgeous. However, it wasn't until he looked up, that his expression changed and a chill ran up his back. Canard even gave off a slight shiver.  
  
Sensing his friend's uneasiness, Wing asked, "What's wrong Canard?"  
  
With a gulp and still staring at the ceiling, he answered, "Look up."  
  
Wing and Dive both followed Canard's gaze and the sight that beheld them made them gasp as well. Directly above them, were rows upon rows of thick, sharp, pointed, icy stalactites.  
  
Wildwing felt a shiver run up his back. 'Man, I wouldn't want one of those to come falling down on us,' he thought.  
  
Nosedive wasn't taking all this very well. He was still trying to get over his initial shock of tumbling down one hole, as well as his surprise ride down a second. But when he gazed up and saw all of those jagged perils just waiting to come crashing down on top of them, well it all became a bit too much for him. He began to let out a high-pitched scream.  
  
"Aaaahhh-!" But his beak was quickly clamped shut by Canard, who had cut the younger duck's outburst short.  
  
"Quiet you nitwit," Canard hissed, "If we make any more loud sounds, who knows how long it will be til' one of those stalactites comes smashing down. And if one does come down, who's to say it won't cause some kind of chain reaction to cause the rest of them to come falling down as well. And I'm sure you don't want to get caught under one of those babies. It'd kill you faster than you can say, 'Ice is cold.' So I'd suggest you keep you're little trap shut, unless you want to get all of us killed."  
  
Dive quickly shoot his head no, as Canard released his grip on the seven- year-old.  
  
"Good, now keep quiet," the older duck warned.  
  
Wildwing hadn't been too thrilled with how his best friend had been treating Nosedive just then, but he had to admit, Canard did bring up a few good points. "Canard," he asked, "Do you really think one of those things could come down? Would they really set off such a chain reaction?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure Wing," answered Canard, "But I did see this special on tv once where these hikers got lost in an ice cave just like this one. Their cave had stalactites in it too. Anyway, one of the hikers sneezed and they all ended up running for their lives as they dodged stalactite after stalactite. I remember them saying that it was like it was raining giant icicles."  
  
"Did they all make it out okay?" asked Wing.  
  
"Well, they all lived, if that's what you mean. But, they did receive some pretty bad injuries from the experience."  
  
"You don't think the same thing could happen here, do you?"  
  
"I don't know. It's possible. Heck, I'd say it can happen, and it probably will. But it won't so long as we all keep really quiet and don't make any sudden, loud noises. That's what sets them all off. In fact, I'm quite surprised that none of them haven't already come down, what with all the racket we've been making."  
  
"Ok, you hear that Dive?" whispered Wildwing, "We can't make any loud noises, so we have to keep quiet, all right?"  
  
All Dive was able to squeak out was an "Uh-huh." The little duckling was petrified, and it showed. He was shivering from head to toe, more from fear than from the cold. He didn't like being down here. He had had enough of it a long time ago. Not only was Dive tired and scared, but he was rapidly becoming homesick. He missed his parents, his room, his toys, and his nice, warm bed. He wished more than anything that he could be there right now instead of here in this stupid ice cave. Wildwing saw how scared his brother looked and began to feel sorry for him. He quickly went over to Nosedive and began to comfort him.  
  
"Hey Dive. It's ok; it'll be all right. Don't worry."

"I'm scared Wildwing," said Nosedive, as he clutched his older sibling's shirt. Tears were forming in his eyes and he was beginning to cry. His body was also shaking.  
  
"I know, I'm scared too."  
  
"You are?" Dive looked up at Wing.  
  
"Well sure, but I don't let my fear stand in the way of us going home." He crouched down in front of Nosedive. "Look, we're all scared. We don't know what's going to happen or how we're going to get home, but I do know one thing for certain."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"That we're going to get out of here, all three of us. Somehow, someway, we're going to escape from this cave and then we'll be free again. Soon, this will all be but a memory. I promise. Just keep that in mind, okay?"  
  
"Okay," sniffed Dive. He wiped his eyes, "I trust you."  
  
"Hey you two, I think I found a way outta' here," called Canard.

"Really?" asked Wing. He took his younger brother's hand and walked him over to the cliff edge. "What do you mean Canard? Where?" Wildwing asked his friend.  
  
"Look over there." Canard pointed at the far wall on the other side of the frozen lake. It was barely visible; it was so far away. "You see that little bit of light coming through. I think there might be another hole leading to the surface over there. And if it does, then that's our ticket to freedom."  
  
"How are we supposed to get all the way over there?" Wing motioned to the distant wall with his hand.  
  
"Simple. We walk."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Shhhh!!! Keep your voice down," Canard hissed.  
  
"Sorry," Wing apologized and lowered his volume, "But what do you mean, 'We walk'?"  
  
"I mean just that. We can get to that hole by crossing the frozen lake and then by climbing up to it."  
  
Wildwing looked over the cliff's edge at the frozen water below. "Do you really think it's safe enough to cross? What if the ice isn't strong enough to support all of us?"  
  
"Look, if you're so worried, how bout' I go first to test the ice out," offered Canard.  
  
"Well, if you really believe it'll hold us all..." Wing returned, "I don't want to see anyone falling through the ice. That's the last thing we need right now. Another disaster."  
  
"Don't worry Wing. I'll be careful."

Though he sounded confident, Wildwing could note a slight bit of nervousness and tension in his best friend's voice. Wing silently said a prayer that the ice would be thick enough to hold them and that they would not have to worry about any unexpected water rescues.  
  
Canard made his way to the edge of the small cliff. Picking up a small rock, he let it fall to see how far down the frozen water really was. Thankfully, the rock only fell for a couple of seconds before hitting the ice.  
  
'Good, it's not that far down,' he thought. "Ok, here I go," he whispered to himself. Holding the flashlight in his beak, he carefully began to climb down the cliff side. Soon, his feet touched the lake. "Aw, here we go. Come on you two, it's not that far down," he called.

The two brothers looked over the ledge at him.

Nosedive was nervous. "I don't know bout' this Wing. That looks like a long way down," said Dive.  
  
"Don't worry, lil' bro'. How about I go first. That way, if you fall, I'll be there to catch you. Does that sound all right to you?" asked Wildwing.  
  
"Ok. I like that."  
  
So leaving Dive on the cliff, Wildwing picked his way down the rock until he was standing next to Canard.  
  
"Ok Dive, you can come on down now," called Wing.  
  
"But what if I slip and lose my grip?" whimpered the yellow duck.  
  
"Don't be afraid. I'll catch you if anything goes wrong," returned the older brother.  
  
"You promise?"  
  
"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."  
  
"Well, all right." Though hesitating at first, Dive finally began to make his way towards the solid water.  
  
Soon, all three ducks had made it on to the frozen lake.  
  
"Oh thank goodness, we all made it safely," Wing said, while taking a breath.  
  
"We're not out of the woods yet," said Canard, "We still have to make it across this lake."  
  
"What's so bad about that?" asked Nosedive.  
  
"'What's so bad about that?' Well, for starters, lots of things could happen," responded Canard, "One of us could fall through some soft spot in the ice, or one of those stalactites could come smashing down. Realistically, there are hundreds of possibilities for what could happen to us down here."  
  
"Oh. I never thought of any of those," said Dive.  
  
"Of course _you_ wouldn't have," taunted Canard.  
  
"Canard, that's enough," Wildwing said, "Look, why don't we get going and quit arguing. Besides, the sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get back home." He quietly said under his breath, "I hope."  
  
"Fine. But Wing, you got to make sure that the kid keeps up, because I won't be stopping for him every five seconds. You hear me?"  
  
"You just worry about finding our escape route and I'll keep an eye on Dive, ok?"  
  
"Great, then let's get a move on. I don't know bout' you two, but I'd rather not spend any more time down here than I have to. I've already had enough of this place to last me a lifetime."  
  
"Me too," said Wing.  
  
"Me three," added Dive.  
  
"All right, all right, enough talk. Let's get going!" replied Canard.  
  
And with that, the trio began to cross the frozen lake.


	5. Trek Across a Frozen Lake

**Disclaimer: I have never owned the Mighty Ducks. I am only borrowing these wonderful characters. Disney owns the copyrights to them.**

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. I am so sorry for making all of my fans and to all of those people who wrote all of those wonderful reviews for making them wait absolutely forever for me to finish this story. I am afraid I suffered from a severe case of writer's block. I honestly had no idea how to end this story. And then once school started back up, I got caught up in homework, papers, projects, and extracurricular activities, and had no time to write or type much of anything else. But one day during winter break, I had an epiphany-I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this long delayed story. So I quickly grabbed a pen and paper and began to write. I am happy to say that I have provided the entire ending-I stayed up 3 hours to get it done, but it's done. I promise that in the future, I shall never let a story of mine go unfinished for so long. I know what it is like to wait for a story you really get into to be concluded. All right, enough with my prolonged stalling. On with the story! And as always, GOD BLESS! **

**Chapter 5-Trek across a Frozen Lake**

**At first, the going was long and slow. Though the three ducks moved as quickly as they could on the ice, they were careful not to go too fast, to avoid slipping on the frozen lake. Canard led the way with his flashlight. Wildwing was a couple of steps behind him, while Nosedive brought up the rear. No one spoke, for fear of making too much noise.**

**For Nosedive, the sheer amount of quiet was somewhat overwhelming. He just wasn't used to such a lack of sound. He grasped the once lost puck in one hand, while clinging desperately to his brother's shirt with the other.**

"**Nosedive, would you stop holding on to me so tightly," whispered Wildwing.**

"**Oh, sorry Wing," squeaked Dive.**

"**Quiet you two," snapped Canard, as softly as he could.**

**The silent walking continued.**

**Nosedive stared wildly around him. Everywhere, the cave ended in total darkness. Shadows became monsters with huge claws and sharp teeth and reflections off the ice became glowing eyes that followed him as he moved. Dive, though getting more and more paranoid by the minute, tried to calm himself down. 'It's ok, Dive,' he thought, 'There's nothing there except ice. Nothing down here is alive except us. Nothing can possibly hurt me as long as Wing and Canard are here. So what could go wrong?'**

**By now, the trio had made it three quarters of the way across the frozen lake.**

"**Hey guys, I think we're going to make it," whispered Canard.**

"**Great," said Wildwing. The light that they had seen from the other side of the lake was becoming stronger now.**

**Nosedive's heart about burst. It wasn't until he believed that they were almost home, that he started to realize how hungry he had become. 'We're finally going to get out of here,' he continued to think, 'We're all going to go home and get out of the cold and have dinner and be warm and snug and safe…' Lost in his fantasies about the future, Dive hadn't noticed the slight tingling in his beak. 'Mom and dad are going to be so happy to see us, and I'll get lots of hugs and kisses…' The tingling was growing by the minute. 'And we will never have to worry about falling into an ice cave again.' By now, the tingling had reached its maximum. Before Nosedive knew what was happening, he was starting to sneeze. "Ah, ah, ah…"**

**Canard's stomach did a flip as he heard Dive's sneeze coming on. Whirling around, he whispered as loudly as he dared, "No Nosedive! Don't!"**

**But it was too late. "Ah, ah-CHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

**The sneeze bounce off the walls and echoed all around, until it died into the cave's darkness. All three ducks shot a glance up to the ceiling, staring with eyes wide open and mouths full of horror. The stalactites hadn't moved.**

"**Whew. Well that was a close one," said Wing, breathing out a sigh of relief.**

**Canard relaxed. "Yeah, a little too close. For a minute there, I thought one of those things might-"**

**And then it happened. One of the stalactites broke free and came crashing down right on top of the trio of birds. The ducks had to dive out of the way.**

**Near petrified, Canard peered around the huge icicle. "W, w, wow. Is, is everyone still here?"**

**Wing and Dive peaked out from the other side. "Yeah, me an' Dive are ok. You?"**

"**I'm fine. Just think I had a bit of a heart attack there."**

"**I know what you mean," agreed Wing.**

**Just then, they heard more cracking above them. Canard once more gazed up at the roof in terror, with eyes bulging."But, I think we'd better start RUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" With that, a second stalactite broke off and started its long fall down, followed by another and another. The three took off at break neck speed, or as fast as they could manage on frozen water.**

**More and more giant icicles came spiraling down from the darkness above. It was like the whole roof was caving in on them. Canard, Wildwing, and Nosedive constantly had to sprint and jump this way and that to avoid being crushed by stalactite after stalactite.**

**Because Dive's legs were shorter than Canard's and Wing's, he was having a hard time keeping up. "Wing! Canard! Slow down! Wait for me!" But the deafening sound of crashing icicles was drowning outhis tiny voice and the older mallards couldn't hear him. They were too busy running for their lives to notice that the distance between them and Dive was growing.**

**Just then, one the largest stalactites in the cave fell right in front of Dive, cutting off his view of his brother and Canard. A giant crack in the ice began to form, splitting the entire lake in half. As Nosedive turned to try and back up so he could jump the currently small gap, another stalactite dropped in front of him. The force sent him falling back as a second crack broke through the lake. More and more icicles poured down, completely breaking up the ice in between the two cracks. Dive ran from corner to corner, searching for a way out, only to be stopped in his tracks by another falling hazard. Before Dive knew it, he was floating on one solitary piece of ice, no bigger than his parents' king size bed. He was trapped. Panicking, he did the only thing he could think of-he cried out his brother's name, "Wildwing!!!!!!"**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note: I hope this chapter has been as good as the last ones. Sorry if it's a little too short. I'm still getting used to writing long chapters. But anyway, keep reading. There's still more!**


	6. Finding a Way Out

**Disclaimer: Disney owns Wildwing, Canard, and Nosedive. End of story.**

**Author's Note: What are you reading the author's note for? Hurry up and get to the next chapter! **

**Chapter 6-Finding a Way Out**

**Wildwing had been so busy running and jumping and trying desperately to stay alive and reach the other side of the lake, he had nearly forgotten about his little brother. But the sound that emitted across the cave just then was enough to make him stop cold-it was his baby brother calling out his name in sheer terror.**

**Wing whirled around and spotted his brother floating helplessly on a patch of ice as stalactite after stalactite fell into the now visible water all around him. "Nosedive!" Wing yelled, as he raced to help the stranded Dive.**

**Canard had been around a yard in front of Wing. He heard his friend's brother's yell too, and had managed a slippery turn to see what was going on. Unfortunately, all he could see was his best friend running in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to be going. The fallen icicles obscured his view of Nosedive and his perilous situation. "Ah, Wildwing, what are you doing?! Have you gone insane?! We're supposed to be heading in this direction!" Apparently, his friend hadn't heard him, and with a quick glance to make sure the light from across the lake was still there, Canard hurried off to catch up with Wing, amidst all the falling death traps.**

**Wing had just about reached Dive, when he suddenly discovered he was rapidly running out of ice to run on. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!" he yelled as he tried to slow himself down. He ended up sliding even faster on the ice, flying towards the freezing waters. "Ahhhh!!!" He covered his eyes and prepared for the worst. And then, he stopped. He uncovered his eyes, discovering that he had stopped no more than an inch from the ice's edge. "Oh man." He breathed his second sigh of relief of the day. Then, he heard Canard screaming behind him. Wing turned and now beheld his best friend sliding towards him. "No Canard, no!" shouted Wing, "Stop!" He tried to stand up and get closer to Canard. "Stop!!!"**

**The two rammed into one another and began to skid once more across the ice. They flew for a few seconds, until they ended up right back at the water's edge. They both cautiously peered in front of them.**

"**Well, at least nobody fell into the water," said Canard.**

**The two heard another sliding sound and looked to see the flashlight come sliding towards the water. Wildwing jumped and caught it just before it hit the water's surface. He handed it back to his friend.**

"**You were saying, Canard?"**

"**Well, almost nobody."**

**Nosedive had been watching this entire charade the whole time. He had become so fixated on the two ducks across the water, he had forgotten about his own predicament. The stalactites seemed to have stopped falling for now. For a few split seconds, the cave was completely silent once more.**

"**Uh, hello?" called the seven-year-old, "Have you guys forgotten something? I'm still floating out here!" He frantically waved his arms in the air.**

**Wing turned around to face his sibling. "Oh, sorry Dive!"**

**Nosedive grunted at him and crossed his arms. "Well, it's about time you guys noticed me!"**

"**We noticed you before," remarked Canard, "Didn't you see us coming to save you?"**

"**Save me? It looked more like you two were doing a ballerina dance on your butts than trying to come to my rescue!" snapped Dive.**

"**Yeah, well if you paid more attention to what was going on around you, maybe you wouldn't get stuck in situations like this!"**

"**Hey, it was your idea to go down that stupid hole in the first place!"**

"**How was I supposed to know you'd lead us all into this ice cave? Besides, it was you who lost the puck to begin with!"**

"**Yeah, well-"**

"**Enough!!!!" screamed Wing. His voice was so loud it nearly shook the entire cave.**

"**Geez, Wing. You wanna' cause another collapse of the falling ice needles?"**

"**No, I just want you two to stop shouting at one another. It's not doing anyone any good. Besides, arguing isn't going to get Dive off of that ice patch, and it sure isn't going to get us any closer to home. Now both of you," and he turned to stare at Dive now, "quit it!"**

**Such an assertive speech from Wing made both ducks shut up. Neither one of them had seen him in such an irritated mood.**

"**Now Canard, help me try and figure a way to get Dive to our side of the lake safely."**

"**Well, we could see if he could jump it."**

"**Are you kidding me? I'm not even sure if we could jump across such a gap, and you're asking my little brother to try? No way."**

"**It was just a suggestion."**

**Wildwing looked back at his now whimpering sibling and desperately tried to think of a plan. "Don't worry Dive. We'll get you off of that thing."**

"**Oh, don't you worry about me. I'm just shakin' my tail feathers off here," replied Dive.**

**Just then, another slight cracking filled the air. Wildwing looked up to see the last stalactite starting to come loose. It was pointed just above the edge of the ice patch, on the opposite end of where Dive was standing. A plan quickly formed in Wing's head. "Dive! When I yell now, start running towards us as fast as you can!"**

"**What?! Are you crazy?!" screamed Dive, "I can't jump this!"**

"**Are you nuts Wildwing? Even I have to admit that the shrimp could never make a jump like that!" yelled Canard.**

"**Don't worry. Just trust me on this one Dive!"**

"**All right Wing."**

**After that, everything began to occur in almost slow motion. The stalactite finally cracked and fell. Wildwing watched as it tumbled down through the icy air. Then, just as it hit the edge of the ice patch, he yelled, "Now!!"**

**Nosedive, fully trusting his brother, took off at a dead run. The weight of the icicle caused one end of the ice patch to dip drastically in the water, springing the other end up into the air. At that moment, all Wing and Canard could do was watch as Nosedive was slingshot up into the air and sent sailing across the cave. They quickly took off after him.**

**Once again, Dive was getting to experience the feeling of flight. At first, he was quite scared. Then, he began to enjoy it. "Look, I'm flying! I'm flying! I'm…oh no!!!" He realized that the cave wall was fast approaching. "This is gonna' hurt!" He smacked into the wall and then fell a few feet until he hit the ground again.**

"**Nosedive! Nosedive!" Wing and Canard came rushing up to him. "Are you ok, lil' bro'?"**

"**Oh, I think so."**

"**Nothing's broken right?"**

"**No, I don't feel anything."**

"**Good," said Canard, "'Cause now we can start climbing."**

"**Climbing?" asked the brothers in unison.**

"**Yeah, because that light we saw in the beginning is right above our heads, up this slope here."**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note: Only one more chapter to go! I hope you enjoy it and may GOD continue to bless each and every day for you.**


	7. Finally Free

**Disclaimer: Disney owns all aspects of the Mighty Ducks, as they always will. Sadly.**

**Author's Note: I'm still trying to write longer chapters. I think I'm getting better. Please excuse me for making you all wait for so long. I hope to be back soon with another COMPLETED story. GOD BLESS! **

**Chapter 7-Finally Free**

**Canard was right. As Nosedive and Wildwing observed, the strange ray of hope was indeed filtering through a small hole no more than ten feet above their heads. However, the only way to reach the hole was by climbing up a slope that looked suspiciously slippery.**

"**Uh Canard? Do you think we'll be able to reach that?" Wing asked.**

"**Yeah, wouldn't we fall or something?" piped in Dive.**

"**Naw. Look, I'll climb up first, as usual, and make hand and footholds in the wall for you guys with my flashlight. That way, it'll be easy for all of us to get out."**

**Once more, Wing and Dive looked at each other uneasily. Canard's plans always seemed to have the habit of sounding crazy at first, but then working out once they actually put them into motion.**

"**All right Canard," said Wing, "You haven't let us down yet."**

"**And I won't be starting now, just you watch me." With that, Canard turned and faced the wall.**

**Amazed, the brothers watched as Canard carefully picked his way up the side of the ice cave, taking care to dig out plenty of holes to grip the wall with as he went. Soon, he had reached the light and peered out.**

"**Canard, can you see anything?" called Wing.**

"**Not really. The hole is too small for me or you to crawl through, so Dive'll have to come up here and help break it open some more from the other side."**

"**What? Why do I have to climb all the way up there? I could get hurt," whined Dive.**

"**Because, squirt," taunted Canard, "You're the only one here small enough to fit through this hole. If you crawl through, you could help me make bigger from the other side. And then your brother and I could get through and we can escape this freezing hole in the ground. All right?"**

"**Ah, do I have to Wing?"**

"**Well, we'll all have to crawl through sooner of later to get out. Besides, I'm sure you want to hurry up and get back home right?"**

"**I guess so."**

"**Well, the sooner we get through that hole, the sooner we can go home."**

"**Ok, I 'spose I'll do it."**

"**Now that's my little brother." Canard watched as Wing helped Dive grab the first handhold and then as the seven-year-old began to climb ever so delicately.**

**Wing knew Dive was scared, but he tried to keep him calm by rallying him on. "That's it Dive! Just keep going and don't look down!"**

**Dive tried to heed his brother's warning to not look down as he rose higher and higher off of the ice cave floor. "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down," he whispered repeatedly to himself. Soon, he felt Canard's grip, as he was pulled up next to him.**

"**All right kid. You made it," said Canard, "And here I thought it would take a miracle to get you up here."**

"**I did it, didn't I?" exclaimed Nosedive, "Hey look Wildwing! I made it!"**

"**That's awesome Dive! You're doing a great job!" answered the lone duck on the ground.**

"**Ok, ok, enough celebrating," snapped Canard, "We're not out of this stupid cave yet. You still have to crawl through and help me make this big enough for Wing an' me."**

**Dive stared at the hole and gulped. "You mean I got to fit through that tiny hole?"**

"**Yes, pipsqueak. Now get going! My hands are starting to freeze here."**

"**But what if I get stuck or fall through?"**

"**You won't get stuck or fall through. It's just a hole."**

"**Well…"**

"**What's going on up there?" yelled Wing.**

"**Nothing. Except that your brother's having second thoughts about crawling through this hole and, in turn, denying us our freedom."**

"**I am not."**

"**Oh don't be so dramatic Canard. Besides, what do you mean 'second thoughts'?"**

"**Just that I think he's too scared to go through."**

"'**Scared?' You don't have to be afraid Dive. It will be all right. Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see."**

**Nosedive, though still uneasy, began to feel more confident after hearing Wing's encouraging words.**

"**See, even your brother says everything will be fine," said Canard, "And you trust your only brother, right?"**

**Nosedive nodded his head.**

"**Well then, what are you waiting for-an introduction? Hurry up and get through that hole. Or are you too _chicken_ to go through?"**

"**I am not a chicken! I'm a duck!" replied Nosedive. With that, he gathered some last minute strength and forced his way into the hole.**

"**That's it. Come on." Canard pushed as hard as he could against Nosedive to try and push the blond duck through the hole.**

"**I can't get through!" yelled Dive. He had his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm stuck!"**

"**Oh no you're not!" screamed Canard, "I've come too far to have you ruin my only chances of escaping. And I certainly won't be stuck down here forever with the likes of you!" The older mallard gave one last great push.**

**With a rather loud pop, Dive went hurling forward, taking much of the outer portion of the hole with him, and went careening down a completely ice covered tunnel, much like the one that had sent the three into the ice cave in the first place.**

"**I told you!" yelled the little duck. By now, however, Dive had already disappeared down the lit tunnel.**

"**Nosedive? Nosedive!" Knowing something obviously went wrong, Wildwing quickly leapt on to the ice cave wall and scrambled up the side. "Canard, go through the hole!"**

"**What?! Are you mad? You heard what happened. Dive just vanished. I don't want to disappear too."**

"**We have to catch up with him before it's too late, now go!" He shoved his best friend through the hole and then jumped through it himself. Soon, all three of them were slipping and sliding down the ice slide.**

**As Nosedive went tumbling through, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation of deja-vu rather than fear. "This is exactly how everything started!" he yelled, "With me sliding down into the unknown!" Suddenly, he could feel himself beginning to slide upwards, as the light grew stronger and stronger, until…**

**He burst out of the ice tunnel and was once more falling through the air. "Not again!"**

**But this time, instead of the hard thwack on the ground, which he was expecting, he landed in a soft patch of snow. "Oof!" He popped his little blond head out of the snow drift, only to see Canard and Wildwing come soaring out of the tunnel as well. With quite a loud thump, they landed in snow bank right next to Dive. The two slowly raised their heads.**

"**Ow, my body. I hope I didn't break anything," moaned Wing.**

"**My head. Have I got one heck of a headache," sighed Canard, "Could this day have gone any worse?"**

"**Well, at least we got the puck back," Dive squeaked as he brandished the puck, which he still had clutched in his hand.**

**Just then, a big blanket of snow fell on top of them, burying them in white fluff.**

"**Dive, just shut up," said Canard.**

**--------------**

**A few minutes later, three ducks staggered out of the snow and slowly lingered on home, wondering how on Puckworld they were going to explain to their parents where they had been, since they had missed both last night's dinner and the new morning's breakfast.**

**THE END.**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note: So, how was it? Not bad I hope. Review me and tell me what you thought of it. But please don't tell me of your disgust at me for waiting so long to finish it. I already feel bad. I'll never do it again, if I can help it. After all, the best things in life are indeed worth waiting for. GOD BLESS, like always. **


End file.
